Snack ..Attack!! Salsa Oaxaqueno with tortillas chips

" Authentic taste of southern Mexico"

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 limes, juice
salt & pepper to taste

Combine the tomatoes, onion, tomato juice, chipotle pepper, garlic, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl.
Season with salt and pepper. Chill, covered, for up to 6 days.
Serve with fresh corn tortillas.

Enjoy....

Quote of the day:

The belly rules the mind.

~Spanish Proverb

Veal medallions with pine nuts & herbs

Ingredients:

2(11 ounces) veal rib chops, boned and trimmed salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon capers (found at Sultan Center)
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

Method:

Season veal with salt & pepper. Brown in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep in warm oven. Saute tomatoes, pine nuts, capers, shallots, garlic, and herbs in remaining olive oil for 10 minutes.
Add lemon juice. Simmer for 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter. Pour the sauce over the veal.
garnish with additional pine nuts (optional)

Can be served with fettucine Alfredo (optional)

Enjoy....

Baked baguettes in honey-pecan sauce

This recipe is described as " puffed Clouds of Ecstacy"



It's prepared a day ahead with baguettes saturated over night with eggs & cream, puffing up to a golden sticky ecstacy in the morning's hot oven.


Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup half&half
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 thick slices french bread
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped pecans



Combine the eggs, half&half, vanilla & 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar in a small bowl. Pour half the mixture into a baking pan.
Place the bread into another pan and top with the other half of the mixtue. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
the next morning, melt the butter in a baking dish and stir in the 1/4 cup of brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and pecans. Add the soaked slices of baguettes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until puffed and brown.

Serve it immediately.

Enjoy...



Tip of the day:

When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey. The honey will slide right out.

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Note:

This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of half-and-half, use 1/3 cup whole milk and 1/3 cup single cream.

Fonzy Chicken Skewers

This post is dedicated to Fonzy, an easy japanese style chicken dish.
If you get the proper ingredients, preperation and cooking will be very simple and easy, just as you requested.


This dish can be prepared one day ahead.

serves 4

Ingredients:

12 skewers (bamboo)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, single chicken breasts
1/4 cup bottled Teriyaki sauce (found at sultan center and all co-ops)
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (you can use powdered ginger if fresh is not available)
vegetable oil for shallow-frying
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch

Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Method:

- If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 1 hour before using, to prevent burning.
- Cut the chicken into strips and thread onto the skewers. Place the skewers in a shallow nonmetallic dish and pour over combined teriyaki sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Drain the skewered chicken from the marinade, and discard marinade.
- Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a frying pan. Toss the skewers in cornstarch and shallow-fry in the oil until well browned and tender. Drain on paper towels. Serve the chicken skewers with the Dipping Sauce.

Dipping sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

*can be served with a bowl of steamed rice or french fries*
**The uncooked marinated skewers can be frozen**.

Let me know how it goes, and if you still think this is quite difficult, tell me and I'll post something simpler.


Enjoy...

White chocolate strawberry trifle

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon instant espresso, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
4 ounces pound cake
3 ounces shaved white chocolate
3/4 cup sliced strawberries

Mix sugar and egg yolks in blender for 1 minute. Add vanilla & blend until smooth. Chill.
beat the whipping cream until stiff. Add cream cheese mixture and chill.
Slice cake into strips. Dip strips in hot espresso.
Layer half the amount of cake strips, white chocolate, cream cheese mixture & strawberries in a clear bowl. Repeat layers. Cover & chill until serving time.

Enjoy....

Pasta with chicken, asparagus & gorgonzola

"Bold combination of flavors"

How to approach your asparagus: Trim it by gently bending each stalk near the base to break off the tough ends. peel 2 inches of the botton skin using a peeler to take off any thick or old stalks. You asparagus is now ready for cooking.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh asparagus
1/2 pound linguine
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup thin strips of chicken
1/2 cup heavy cream
red pepper flakes for taste
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
a dash of nutmeg (if you can find it in Kuwait)
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cut the asparagus into 1 1/2 inch lengths. place in boiling water; set aside.
Cook the linguine until al dente. drain it and set it aside.
Melt the butter in a skillet, stir fry chicken until brown. whisk in the cream, red peppers, shallots, and nutmeg.
Add gorgonzola; stir until melted.
Add tarrgon, asparagus, and linguine. Toss well.
Serve with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy....

Honey~drenched figs

"Warm, juicy, drippy and slicky"

Ingredients:

8 figs
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

Grill figs over a low heat until heated through, turning occasionally.
Warm the honey. Place figs on individual serving plates, drizzle with enough honey to lightly coat figs, and top with pecans.


A little "optional" tip: you can always add french vanilla icecream.

Enjoy....

Penne in Rosemary Cream Sauce

it's cold today.. and I was in the mood for pasta, so I tried this simple recipe... loved it.


Ingredients:

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/8 cup fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup tomato puree
salt & pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

cook the penne until al dente. meanwhile, suate the rosemary in olive oil over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree. Season with salt & pepper.
simmer for 15 minutes. Pour in the cream and parmesan chesse, and keep stirring until heated.
Drain your pasta and toss with the cream sauce.

Enjoy....



Tip:

To warm a large bowl for serving pasta, put the serving bowl in the sink and place the colander in it. When the pasta is done, pour it into the colander, allowing the hot water to drain into the bowl. Pull the colander out of the serving bowl and let the pasta drain.

Cocktails - All about bananas

Banana Shake: serves 2



1 ripe banana, chopped, juice of 1 orange, 1 teaspoon honey, 300ml full-fat milk, 8 ice cubes, ground cinnamon.

place the banana, orange juice, honey and milk in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour over ice into 2 tall glasses and sprinkle with cinnamon.
( substitute the bananas with mangos to make a mango shake, you may wish to leave out the honey if the mango is very sweet )


Carib Cream: serves 1



1 small banana, 1 measure lemon juice, 1 measure full-fat milk, crushed ice, 1 teaspoon finely chopped walnuts.

Place the banana, lemon juice and milk in a food processor with some crushed ice and process on maximum speed until smooth. Pour into a cocktail glass and sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top just before serving.


A. smoothie:


1 cup mango juice, 1 cup orange juice, 6 strawberries, stems removed, 1 banana, ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 1 (8-ounce) container of lemon yoghurt.

Place ingredients in a blender cup, blend until smooth and serve.


Tip:










If you want to prevent your bananas from going brown, simply place them into a bowl & cover with Lemon Juice or Unsweetened Pineapple Juice for 2-3 minutes. This doesn't affect the taste in any way.

Burger lovers everywhere.... here are some burger toppers ..

turning boring burgers into show stoppers ..

Spicy Salsa:

1 diced tomato, 1 minced jalapeno, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Honey Mustard:

1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lighty toasted mustard (if not availabe substitute with lightly toasted sesame seeds)

Creamy Dill: (great on tuna and salmon burgers)

1/2 cup non fat plain yoghurt, 2 tablespoons fresh dill, 2 tablespoons prepared mustard (or store bought)

Chilli Cream: (great on sirlion & turkey burgers)

1/2 cup non fat sour cream, 2 teaspoons chilli powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Tomato-Basil:

1/2 cup tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Sweet 'n' Sour:

1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons red vinegar

Parsley Pesto:

1/2 cup fresh parslet, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup water ( puree all in blender)

Puttanesca:

1/2 cup tomato sauce, 2tablespoons sliced black olives, 2 tablespoons capers

Avocado Mayonnaise

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 ripe peeled avocado, seeded

Peanut Sauce:

2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 garlic clove, minced

Asian Guacamole:

2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup diced tomato, 1/4 cup sliced scallions (green onions the green part only), 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice,
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoonvegetable oil,
1/2 teaspoon chilli sauce with garlic, 1/4 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno chile, 1 teaspoon salt to taste (Combine all of the guacamole ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix gently without mashing the avocado)

Today's Tip:

Measurement Equivalents

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)
1/16 cup (c) = 1 tablespoon
1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8 cup = 6 tablespoons
1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons
1 cup = 48 teaspoons
1 cup= 16 tablespoons
8 fluid ounces (fl oz) = 1 cup
1 pint (pt) = 2 cups
1 quart (qt) = 2 pints
4 cups = 1 quart
1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts
16 ounces (oz) = 1 pound (lb)
1 milliliter (ml) = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)
1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

Chocolate Meringues with Cherry Ripple ~ SF

Chef Silvana Franco who appears on the BBC food channel made this recipe on her show The Hi Lo Club. it's delicious and fun to make.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1 pinch salt

225g golden caster sugar (found in Mishref co-op)

1 tsp cornflour

0.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp white vinegar

25g cocoa powder

425g canned stoned black cherries, in syrup

200g low-fat fromage frais (could be found at the sultan center)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 140C/gas 1.

2.Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until very stiff. Gradually add the sugar to make a stiff shiny mixture. Stir together the corn flour, vanilla and vinegar and whisk in. Sift over the cocoa then whisk in.

3. Spoon twelve oval shapes onto two baking sheets lined with Teflon paper. Bake for 45 minutes until the outer shell is crisp, but the centre still feels a little soft. Carefully peel off the paper and leave to cool.

4. Meanwhile, drain the cherries, pouring the syrup into a small saucepan. Bring the syrup to the boil and bubble rapidly for 7-8 minutes until thick. Set aside to cool.

4. Stir the cherries into the fromage frais. Spoon the mixture onto six of the meringues and then drizzle over the thickened syrup. Cover with the remaining meringue halves and serve.

This dessert should be served immediatly or the meringues halves will get soggy.

Servings: 6

Level of difficulty: Intermediate

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Tip of the day:

to remove tomato skin easily, put them in very hot
water for 8-10 minutes. remove, peel and chop or mash as
required.

Strawberry and Avocado salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar (you can use apple vinigar if not available)
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 head romaine, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 avocado, sliced

Method:

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, salt, pepper and cinnamon in a jar. Shake well & refrigerate for 2 hours. Combine the romaine, orange, strawberries, onion, pecans and avocado in a large bowl.
Top with half the dressing; toss well. Serve with the remaining dressing.


Tip:

De-stem strawberries with a drinking straw. Just push the straw up through the bottom of the strawberry and push through until the stem ops off.

Lobster with mango mint chutney

Ingredients:

1 680-900g lobster, cooked, shelled, chilled and cut into 1.25cm chunks (about 225g lobster meat)
8 medium lettuce leaves, washed in clod water and drained
2 canned artichokes hearts
½ cup mango mint chutney (recipe follows)

Mango mint chutney ingredients:

3 tablespoons cider vinegar
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 large orange, grated zest & juice
2 small lemons, grated zest & juice
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 stick cinnamon
½ cup raisins
2 cloves garlic
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground coriander, toasted
3 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into medium dice
1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar, plus extra as needed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

Method:

Divide the lettuce between 2 plates. Place an artichoke heart in the center of each plate and top with the lobster meat.
Prepare the chutney by combining all the ingredients except the mangoes in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and mint. Cook slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally until almost dry. Add mangoes & sugar. Add more vinegar or brown sugar to taste.
When the mangoes are heated through, remove from heat and let cool. Stir in chopped mint & garnish the lobster with it & serve.

Enjoy....

Artichokes with warm vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon
1 large or 2 medium artichoke
½ medium shallot, minced
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 pinch red Chile flakes
Coarse black pepper to taste
¼ cup red vinegar

Method:

Fill a small pot with water, add salt & 1 tablespoon olive oil. Squeeze lemon juice into water & add squeezed rind. Remove tough outer leaves of artichokes. Add to water, cover & bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer & cook for about 15 minutes. Drain, cut artichokes in half & remove inner choke with a spoon. Set aside.
Place one teaspoon olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat, add the chopped shallot & cook until soft for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add mustard, salt, chile flakes & red vinegar. Slowly whisk in remaining olive oil.
Pour over reserved artichokes & serve immediately.

Enjoy….